Diary PCBuds mini-grow

[PCBuds]

I've got the psu running the 3500k side lights, with two walls hooked up to one Volt/Ammeter, and the other two walls hooked up to the other Volt/Ammeter.

I kept fussing around trying to figure out why they aren't delivering equal current.
I was checking for bad connections and couldn't find anything.

I'm pretty sure that it's from my circulation fan blowing unevenly on the walls, cooling them off?
The closet door is probably cooler too.

So if that's the case, just blowing some air on a particular wall, changes the current output by almost 20%.

When I open the closet door, I can see the current draw dropping rapidly with cooler air hitting the door and getting in the closet.

 

[PCBuds]

I started messing around with my lights again, and found some sort of bad connection at the contactor.

I managed to get the amperage closer to each other.

I pulled and wobbled the wires going in and out and it made better contact.

I'm using solid core copper house wiring in and out of the contactor, and I don't think that there is enough surface contact.

I'm thinking about what I can do...

I just recently checked the connections and the copper wire was all dark, so I cleaned them up with ultra-fine sandpaper, covered them with dielectric grease and reinserted them.

Something isn't right.
(Or i doesn't matter. Lol)

I might attach and use stranded wire at the connections ?
Stranded wire is squishable and should make better contact.

 

[PCBuds]

This is what my popcorn buds are turning into...

Another cola...

 

[PCBuds]

 

[PCBuds]

 

[f-e]

Can't be long now. The leaves are starting to roll themselves. They must be keen to get in that Rizla.
Rolling and upward cupping are Mg signs. You won't be able to supply enough though. Feeding for the tops will poison the rest. Might have to accept it's too much light on these parts.

The VR doesn't handle the lighting current. It just gets a sample voltage.
You should really think about an external current regulator. They cost about as much as that big cap you ordered. Alternately, put a fuse on the LED circuit as doubling your current is a run-away problem you don't need.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current warms LEDs further.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current warms LEDs further.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current warms LEDs further.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current Kills LEDs
That's thermal run-away. A real killer.

The contactor might be happier on the 110. Or you could swap it for a 24v relay, pulled from a truck or something. They are commonly found with 30amp ratings. The thing to look at, is what the contacts are made of. In the contactor, they must be almost indestructible. They can't be gold for example, as it wouldn't last a week. While a signal relay must be something like gold, as a contactor is just too dirty. Often it's the power that clears the contacts on larger stuff. This is why many items of switchgear won't cover both voltage bands. Or do so with different ratings. Often you just won't get the information you need.

At some point you should treat yourself to a CC supply. I imagine the ebike charger is for 36v but could be 24v in some markets. 4 amp is quite typical for them. It could be worth a peek inside.
It would be a shame to see all your LED's burn up, saving 15$

 

[PCBuds]

 

[PCBuds]

Can't be long now. The leaves are starting to roll themselves. They must be keen to get in that Rizla.

I had to Google that.
In Canada, Zig Zag and Export A are common rolling papers.

I still have mostly yellow pistils, so she's still got a ways to go.

I have the additional issue of my plants foxtailing. Every plant I've grown with the LED strips have foxtailed.
I've gone 16 weeks before and she was still throwing out new pistils.

She's 9 1/2 weeks old now but I'm going to wait until I see mostly orange hairs.

Rolling and upward cupping are Mg signs. You won't be able to supply enough though. Feeding for the tops will poison the rest. Might have to accept it's too much light on these parts.

It could be partly from that sudden change in lighting that she had to deal with.
All the leaves on the plant were scorched pretty good.

The VR doesn't handle the lighting current. It just gets a sample voltage.

I figured that the sample current might add some heat to the VR and change its resistance?

You should really think about an external current regulator. They cost about as much as that big cap you ordered.

I'll look into that.
I might need 4 of them for the 4 separate feeds that I have going to the lights.

Alternately, put a fuse on the LED circuit as doubling your current is a run-away problem you don't need.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current warms LEDs further.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current warms LEDs further.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current warms LEDs further.
LEDs warm, current rises. Raised current Kills LEDs
That's thermal run-away. A real killer.

I was aware of thermal run-away when I first got my LED strips and power supplies.

I bought a whole bunch of 1/2 amp fuses to put in line with each strip, but I never installed them.

I was really worried about thermal run-away at first, but it didn't become a real problem.

I've had my strips now for almost two years and this was the first time that things got out of hand and it wasn't that bad.
​​
4.2 amps is the test current that I run my strips at, and 8.4 amps would be the maximum current.

I was at just over 7 amps which is still OK but they may have gotten hotter than the maximum 85°C.
I didn't check the temperature. I just turned them down.
They were running at 7 amps for about ten minutes, before I noticed.

The contactor might be happier on the 110. Or you could swap it for a 24v relay, pulled from a truck or something. They are commonly found with 30amp ratings. The thing to look at, is what the contacts are made of. In the contactor, they must be almost indestructible. They can't be gold for example, as it wouldn't last a week. While a signal relay must be something like gold, as a contactor is just too dirty. Often it's the power that clears the contacts on larger stuff. This is why many items of switchgear won't cover both voltage bands. Or do so with different ratings. Often you just won't get the information you need.

I'm pretty sure that the contacts of the contactor are fine.
It's where the wire is screwed down that I've got an issue.
The wires coming out of the contactor are warm for about 2 inches down the wire.
It's just a bad connection with some resistance that generates some heat.

I might install some fuses at those points with stranded wire going into the contactor?

I also have four 12 volt 40 amp relays that I could use, but I'm going to start with fixing the connections of the contactor.

At some point you should treat yourself to a CC supply. I imagine the ebike charger is for 36v but could be 24v in some markets. 4 amp is quite typical for them. It could be worth a peek inside.
It would be a shame to see all your LED's burn up, saving 15$

The ebike charger is 60 volts, 2.5 amps, so not really useful.

I'm going to start with looking into a current regulator.

My only real hesitation is that I will add more stuff to my electronics with more potential points of failure, but I figure if something goes wrong, it should fail by shutting off the lights as opposed to turning them all the way up.

I grow Autoflowers, so the lights being off isn't a big deal.

 

[exploziv]

Just get wire ends connectors, you can crimp those on the wire and then have a good connection in a screw adjusted crimper terminals like the contactor should have.

 

[piramidon]

...I grow Autoflowers, so the lights being off isn't a big deal.

So screw in some SIL, after all you need a back up, can't let the auto in the dark.

 

[PCBuds]

Just get wire ends connectors, you can crimp those on the wire and then have a good connection in a screw adjusted crimper terminals like the contactor should have.

Good idea.
I've got some of those.

I'm going to solder it on to the wire though.

 

[PCBuds]

So screw in some SIL, after all you need a back up, can't let the auto in the dark.

Yeah, I've got a bunch of backups.

If things go dark, I've got some time to sort things out with an autoflower.

Two minutes of light at night with a photoperiod plant can herm it.

 

[exploziv]

Crimp it before soldering. Its better if right procedure and wire size is kept.

 

[PCBuds]

Crimp it before soldering. Its better if right procedure and wire size is kept.

Yup, I did, and the connector was the perfect size for the wire.

I soldered it and tinned the connector too.

It's better now.
The ammeters have different values, but the numbers don't bounce around when I wiggle the wires going into the contactor.

​​​​​​​

 

[PCBuds]

It evened right up.

I guess it just needed some time to stabilize.

 

[PCBuds]

f-e
What about 4 of these??

EDIT: That's no good. It only goes up to 3 amps.

 

[PCBuds]

This was my plant on September 18th...

This is my plant today...

I put it through my time machine again.

My Flux Capacitor seems to be working. Lol

 

[PCBuds]

I made a purchase..

At first I was thinking that I really don't need them, but then I thought I can charge my lithium batteries with them.

And even though I will probably never charge a lithium battery with them, it was fun to buy stuff.

I got into the sauce again.


I scored big too because I only paid one shipping charge instead of four. I saved seven bucks..

 

[PCBuds]

... The leaves are starting to roll themselves...

Rolling and upward cupping are Mg signs. You won't be able to supply enough though. Feeding for the tops will poison the rest. Might have to accept it's too much light on these parts.

I decided to remove the offensive curly leaves.
I don't need them.

There's only so much magnesium to go around. Lol
(fu€K, I'm wasted).

I trimmed her real good! Lol

 

[exploziv]

The plant was probably using those leaves.. Result of late defoliation is usually airy buds as plant tries to develop leafsurface and grows the bud leaves fast.